Hi, I am Nate and I am an outdoor freak in the true meaning of that word. I almost go nuts when I have an upcoming outdoor vacation, you know, like a squirrel that comes across more nuts than he can eat. I mean I live for the outdoors and I would never ever give up this love for anything. Thankfully, the United States is a land of marvels, some of them man-made and most of them natural. That means that if the outdoor bug has bitten your family, there are a thousand and one places to take them for camping, hiking and backpacking.

Kayaking, canoeing, sailing, sand kicking on the beaches and many more outdoor adventures appeal to many people. Today, if you would like to know weekend getaway places where your family can enjoy camping, picnicking and other outdoor adventures, you have come to the right place.

Virginia – Shenandoah National Park

There is a small entrance fee of 20 dollars for every vehicle and it will remain valid for a week. However, that notwithstanding, you will love the number of hiking trails available in the Shenandoah Park, with difficulty rating ranging from easy to challenging. There is something for everyone. If your children are older, take them to the grueling 8 miles of hiking to the peak of Old Rag Mountain. They will enjoy great panoramic views from the top. Sometimes, the road is closed due to winter. Find out.

Vermont – The Green Mountain National Forest

This place is open for camping throughout the year, even during winter. It has many campgrounds and the good thing is that with the weather allowing, there are many areas where you can camp in the backcountry away from anyone else. Be ready to hike the famous Long Trail in Vermont. It is great, with trees, wildflowers and different types of animals. There are no entrance fees.

New York – Minnewaska State Park

First, you will enjoy an averagely long drive of 94 miles from New York City to Minnewaska State Park. Then you will enjoy some cool hiking and biking when you get to the park. There are more than 50 miles of hiking and biking trails. A wonderfully diversified collection of flora and fauna, rock formations as well as waterfalls are available. There are ready camping grounds too for use from the mid of May to the mid of September. You will pay a small fee.

Pennsylvania – Pine Grove Furnace Park

There are many trailer and camping sites in the Pine Grove Furnace Park in Pennsylvania. This park is famous for most reasons and one of them is that the famous AT – Appalachian Trail passes through here. Actually, that is why most people go to this park, to hike just a part of the AT. You will pay a small fee for camping, backpacking but there is no entry fee. This is one of the most visited national parks in the country.

Maryland – Assateague Island

The full name is Assateague Island National Seashore, which offers camping enthusiasts an opportunity to enjoy more than 35 miles of beach, sand and sun. Other features include wild horses – fancy that, salt marshes, bays and even forests. You can only camp on the side of Maryland, and that is more than enough. Note that there are few campsites so the people who book them first get them. They are open throughout the year though.

Apart from the above 5 parks, other national parks that I am planning to visit soon include Badlands in South Dakota, Glacier Bay and Denali – both in Alaska, California’s Yosemite, Joshua Tree and Olympic National Park in Washington to name but just a few.

Aim and shoot… That is the dream of every hunter. But then the shot goes wild! It misses the deer and off it skips to the woods. Grrh! That is not right. A wasted bullet? But it happens when you do not use a scope. This will be your extra eye and it will extend beyond the range that your eye can see. Besides, it will guide you appropriately using crosshairs. Chances are that with a gun scope, you will get four out of every 5 deer you aim at, but I am sure you do not need that many.

So how do you get the best rifle scope for hunting? It should not be too hard even if it is your first time to look for one. One of the things that a hunting scope will do for you is make you an excellent hunter. You need not miss a prey in the wild. There are a few features though that you should know about and make sure that the scope has these and much more. There are so many things to this rather than the brand name alone. What should you look for when buying one?

Some scopes are too complicated

As a potential deer hunter, you cannot allow yourself to be overwhelmed by complicated scopes. Some scopes have too many features, and you will not need all of them. When hunting a deer, you just want a simple scope that can help you to aim and shoot. Some of the features that a scope should have include turrets, glass that should reduce color fringing so that you can see your objects clearly. A standard duplex reticle is also good enough for you, no need to go for the complicated reticles while this one is good enough.

Turrets are tactical adjustments for the wind, distance and other things that affect a shot. Make sure that the turrets do not require you to have a screwdriver for windage settings. It should be easy to operate.

Just remember that your quarry is not too complicated and so you are not looking for a scope with military features and settings. More features mean more money but that is much better than fewer features for less money.

This is not just the overall magnification, but the multiplication in given instances. For example, what magnification do you get for 100 yards? It would be advisable to choose a scope with 3 times magnification for 100 yards and for 300 yards, you should get 9 times magnification. For 1000 yards range, look for a magnification of 15 times. Although your choice of hunting scope will be determined by the type and size of rifle that you are using, you will need to do research to buy the best scope with the most important features.

Objective lens

This is another important feature. It is better to buy a scope with a large objective lens as such lets in more light and reduces negative effects like mirages and other errors that could misguide your shot. A big lens scope will cost more money, but it will be worth it.

Here are a couple of hunting scopes that I have used and would highly recommend

Nikon Prostaff

If the name is Nikon and the product is an optical item, then you know very well that you have great quality. That is why Nikon Prostaff gun scope comes highly recommended for you. It is made of aluminum, has an objective lens of 40mm and comes with a magnification of up to 9x. It is made with waterproof housing for use in all conditions and is also fog proof.

Pros

The scope uses 98% of all available light with the multicoat system that projects color as it is and reduces mirages and aberrations.

Has a lifetime warranty

Incredible sharpness and brightness in the glass

Cons

It is quite expensive

Check this homepage and find out about the best rimfire scopes on the market.

Crossfire II 6

This is the scope for hunting to go for if you would like to eliminate errors and guesswork from your shooting. It has many wonderful features like the Nitrogen gas purge for the one-inch tube that keeps it fogproof and waterproof. It is shockproof, meaning it can absorb recoil. It is made of aluminum making it quite long lasting.

For more reviews on the best sniper scopes, go to best gun scopes today.

Pros

The scope will hold zero – this means it is sighted and does not need many readjustments

Fishing is fun, but you already know that. What you do not know is that catfish can be really crafty and they will dodge the hook more often than you care to see. However, there is a way around this and it is in the bait that you use. I have been fishing for many years and over that time, I have come to know the kinds of baits that fish love most. And no, they will not cost you a lot of money and they are not gross in any way. Some of these baits are stuff that you can find at home in your kitchen. Forget the regular baits like chicken in all forms. Sometimes, you will find that you do not have chicken. So what can you use instead? It is better to have diverse options at your disposal.

So here goes:

Use spoiled shrimp

Catfish enjoy shrimp. How do I know? You ask. I know because I have used spoiled shrimp from the fridge and tell you what, I was happy it did not go to waste. The good thing is that you do not have to wait for your shrimp to spoil. Make a habit of passing by the grocery store and ask for any spoiled ones and they will be happy to oblige to your request. When you get home with the shrimp, keep it in an airtight bag and then freeze it. To fish, insert the hook from the head to the tail but the tip should protrude a bit.

Coagulated cow blood

Where do you get cow’s blood? It is very simple actually. If there is a slaughterhouse somewhere in your area of town, go and ask them for blood. Just take a container to the slaughterhouse and they will fill it up with blood for you. Tell them it is for catfish fishing. When the blood has coagulated, just cut it into small pieces of about one inch thick and use it for night or evening fishing for the best results.

Fries, yes, French!

People love French fries and so do catfish. In fact, catfish love many things that people love, so no surprise there. I have used French fries several times before and I think it is the grease that attracts the catfish. I also learned that it is not only the catfish that love fries but other fish as well. So you had better watch out lest you catch something you do not fancy.

Use ivory soap for big fish

If you would love to catch a trophy catfish, then you had better use Ivory soap. While no one knows why catfish are attracted to this soap like a moth to light, well, the why does not matter as much as the fact that they do love it. Chop it into little cubic pieces of about an inch and then pass the hook through it with the tip protruding.

Dog Food

This is the canned food for your dog if he will allow you ☺. However, do make sure you get the kind of dog food that is cut into squares and has strong flavors like garlic, onion, cheese and so on. You are advised to use this bait on the channel catfish as they have a developed sense of taste than other catfishes.

Conclusion

With the above-mentioned catfish baits, you will be sure of bringing home a catch. You will not need a hunter’s gun scope to track the fish. Just bait, throw the line and wait for the hungry delicious buggers to come along and bite.